I Stay Up
by Hanna Cabrodi
Summary: Night after night, they kept dreaming about it... Did they finally work up the courage to tell each other the truth? Songfic/Oneshot


**_Hey there, folks! Hanna Cabrodi here. I never planned on uploading this songfic, I didn't like it. But after re-reading it, I've come to believe that it's way better than "Somewhere." I think Helga was a little too outta character and soft in "Somewhere" so I think this fic shows Helga's more well-known rough side. I don't LOVE it but it's SOMETHING. I've gotta post SOMETHING, I'm on complete Writer's Block with the story I've been really meaning to post on here but oh well! Hopefully, I'll finally be able to finish my other story and publish it here. _**

**_I realize someone already made a fic with this song but hey, it's the free web, I'll do as I wish! Got it, _BUCKO?_ Lol, just kidding. No, really. This is one of my favorite songs EVER! Selena was an incredible artist. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I leave you with "I Stay Up." I shoulda thought of a better title... smh..._**

**_DISCLAIMER: Craig Bartlett's the genius behind Hey Arnold! GIVE IT BACK NICKELODEON SO WE CAN GET OUR JUNGLE MOVIE! Selena is the angel behind "Dreaming of You." Whatever record company is responsible for that amazing song owns it. So LEAVE ME ALONE! Kthnxbai! :)_**

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I Stay Up

There she sat… a quiet, reformed, 18 year old Helga Geraldine Pataki, sitting in her bedroom, trying to put her head on straight. After 16 years of being in love with the same football headed young man, she finally wanted to call it quits on what she'd considered her forbidden love and move on… but why was it so damn hard? Why were those sleepless nights just inundated with thoughts of him? Why couldn't she just accept let her close friendship with Arnold and not wish that he loved that they were best friends so that it could become something more?

_Late at night when all the world is sleeping,_

_I stay up and think of you…_

_And I wished on a star _

…_that somewhere you are thinking_

_Of me too…_

Little did she know, Arnold asked himself the same question… He couldn't get the events of FTi out of his head… It'd been 9 years since the event and it'd replayed in the back of his head almost every night since it happened. He tried to shake it off… His heart didn't immediately react and for years after that, he opted to develop a friendship with Helga instead, attempting to take the sting out of not feeling the same, as his guilt was greater than his reasoning. They eventually became amazing friends. Even when Helga freed herself of her trademark unibrow for two delicately arched brows and her pigtails for a simple pink ribbon and freed hair, he still didn't feel any kind of romantic sentiment for his former tormenter… until one night, a dream of losing her to a man who didn't deserve her made him question his friendly credentials… And every night since, not only did he dream of FTi, he dreamt of the day he and Helga could finally be together and have her in his arms at last.

'_Cause I'm dreamin' of you tonight._

'_Till tomorrow, I'll be holdin' you tight…_

…_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be…_

…_Than here in my room,_

_Dreamin' about you and me…_

While Helga pondered in her room about her football-headed love, she couldn't understand why, even after her physical transformation, Arnold never gave her any kind of romantic hint. Why he'd never thought to bring up FTi again, keeping in mind how inquisitive her oblong-headed friend was. In fact, she'd wondered if he'd EVER see anything past a friendship between them… She also asked herself if he'd noticed how the gaze in her crystal blue eyes showed her true identity…

_Wonder if you ever see me, and I_

_Wonder if you know I'm there?_

_If you looked in my eyes,_

_Could you see what's inside?_

_Would you even care?_

How he longed to hold her in his arms. It showed in his aching green eyes… He longed to tell her that even if Big Bob and Miriam couldn't give her the love that she so desperately needed that he was right there, willing to give it to her. To give her the strength she needs to be able to make it through the day by just knowing that she's loved and that she has someone to count on when the going gets rough. To hold her hand when she needed it… but just to have her in his arms and tell her he loved her was enough… but it all seemed like an impossible feat for him…

_I just wanna hold you close,_

_But so far all I have are dreams of you…_

_So I'll wait for the day_

_And the courage to say how much_

_**I love you**_

_Oh, yes, I do._

All they felt they could do was dream… He looked up at his skylight, she looked out her window… all they could do was dream…

_I'll be dreamin' of you tonight._

'_Till tomorrow, I'll be holdin' you tight…_

…_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be…_

…_Than here in my room,_

_Dreamin' about you and me…_

All of a sudden a chill came over them… as if something forced them, at 11:00 PM, to storm out of their houses and let it all out. They were graduating in June… they just couldn't let those last few months go by without professing the pain that crept inside the deepest corners of their souls… even if it meant hearing each other say they don't feel the same way…

_Corazon (I can't stop dreaming of you)_

_No puedo dejar de pensar en ti (I can't stop dreaming) _

_Como te necesito (I can't stop dreaming of you)_

_Mi amor, como te __extraño_

Arnold couldn't take it anymore. He stormed out of his room through his skylight window in his blue sweatpants and white t-shirt towards the Pataki household. Helga, in the meanwhile, took the risk and climbed down her bedroom window and headed towards Sunset Arms, to finally free herself of the feelings she's had locked up for so many years. They sprinted towards each of their destinations before finally bumping into themselves and falling like bowling pins towards the cold ground. They didn't realize who they'd crashed into until they helped each other up. Begging God for courage, they finally let out the words they couldn't keep holding back.

"Helga, I…"

"Arnold, wait. Before you completely blow me off, I… HMPH…"

Before Helga could get a word in edgewise, Arnold planted his soft pink lips on hers, understanding that his action was clear. Helga couldn't help but give in. Somehow, they both knew what they were gonna say… After they parted, they still wanted to hear themselves release their secrets.

Arnold decided to say something first. "Look, I don't understand how dense I've been. All these years, even after you told me what you told me at FTi, I didn't wanna come to terms with what my heart was beginning to understand. But it finally made sense to me. When love comes around, you'd have to be stupid not to take advantage of it. And what I didn't realize was that it was right in front of my face all this time. DAMN, I'm slow."

Helga let out a chuckle. "I love you, Helga Pataki. I don't think God intended it any other way…"

Just when Arnold was leaning in to seal the deal, Helga stopped him. "Wait. You got your chance to speak, Hair Boy. Now it's my turn." Arnold smiled. "Even after I confessed to you, which I took back saying it was the 'heat of the moment', I tried letting it all go, telling myself that you believed that too. Yet deep down, I knew in my heart that you always knew I was being sincere. All I can ask of you is to please not play with the information I am about to give you: I have always loved you Arnold Shortman… I always will," she said tenderly. "But if you EVER try to hurt me, I will FINALLY introduce you to ol' Betsy and The Five Avengers and POUND the DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOUR FOOTBALL HEAD!"

Arnold couldn't help but laugh. So he just grabbed her and kissed her. She couldn't believe it was finally happening. After a few heart stopping moments, they parted. Saying their goodbyes, they finally went back to their homes, with lovestruck smiles on their faces.

_Late at night when all the world is sleepin',__  
__I stay up and think of you__…__  
__And I still can't believe__  
__That you came up to me and said __**I love you**__  
__I love you too__…_

After finally setting their hearts free of the secrets they've held back for so long, Arnold and Helga lay peacefully in their respective beds, dreaming what they thought was impossible but finally came to be... There's nowhere else they'd rather be…

_Now I'm dreamin' with you tonight,_

'_Till tomorrow and for all of my life._

_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_

_Than here in my room dreaming with you endlessly_

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**__****_[A.N.] The reason I didn't name it Dreaming of You, as per the name of the song, is because the other fic that uses the same song already uses that name. Gotta be ORIGINAL! _**

**_Okay, PLEASE be honest. Review. Tell me what you think. Is it too mushy? Is it boring? Is it awkward? I don't like it very much but it's only because I don't have a muse lol. I need_ some_ kind of inspiration. That's the downside of not even having a crush right now because at least daydreaming about him (if he existed) would give me _some_ kind of enlightenment to write a love story! But really, though. That's all I've got... for now :)_**

**_GBY!_**

**-Hanna Cabrodi**

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_**OH! I think I should probably give you the translation for the Spanish parts in the song because I'm pretty sure that just because I'm bilingual doesn't mean everyone else is too lol!**_

**Corazon - **[my] heart (referring to their beloved).

**No puedo dejar de pensar en ti - **I can't stop thinking about you.

**Como te necesito - **[oh], how I need you.

**Mi amor, como te extraño - **my love, how I miss you.


End file.
